Contents

Races

Although the main character in the single player game has to be human, recruits from the Brotherhood and characters in multiplayer matches can be of any of six races. Each race has its own advantages and disadvantages as well as a few unique perks.

The races are:

Humans: Humans do not excel in any particular area, but they do not suffer in any areas either, thus making them the most balanced race. Humans gain perks every three levels and have a bonus to electrical resistance.

Super Mutants: Super Mutants are excellent at combat due to their bonus damage but lack Intelligence and Agility. They cannot use Small Guns such as pistols or rifles but have increased resistances and damage resistance. Super Mutants gain perks every four levels.

Ghouls: Ghouls are not as strong as humans but they are luckier and more perceptive. They have a large bonus to radiation resistance and smaller bonuses to electrical and poison resistance. Ghouls gain perks every four levels.

Deathclaws: Deathclaws cannot use most items or wear armor and can only use Melee Weapons such as Brass Knuckles. To compensate their lack of Intelligence and Charisma, deathclaws do bonus damage, have more hit points than usual and increased resistances as well as bonus damage resistance. They gain a perk every four levels.

Dogs: Dogs' main strengths are Perception and Agility, but they cannot use weapons or other tools. They are sligthly resistant to electrical damage. Dogs gain perks every two levels.

Humanoid Robots: Robots always have an average amount of Luck and no Charisma. They are strong and tough, resistant to most attacks (except electrical ones) and immune to poison, gas and radiation. Robots never gain perks.

Skills

There are 18 different skills in the game. They are ranked from 0% to 200%. The starting values for those skills at Level 1 are determined by the player's 7 basic attributes, but most of those skills would fall between 0% and 50%. Every time the player gains a level, he or she will be awarded skill points to be used to improve his skills, equal to 5 points + twice his Intelligence. The player may choose to "tag" 3 of the 18 skills. A tagged skill will improve at twice the normal rate and the tagged skill determine which items the character starts with.

How high a skill can be developed is affected by the character's Attributes - a character with a low Intelligence will not be able to boost their Science rating as high as a character with high Intelligence, for example. As skills grow higher in rating, they begin to cost more skill points to increase.

Improving skills

Books found throughout the game world can improve some of those skills permanently, although books are scarce early in the game.

Some skills can be improved while having certain items equipped. For example, equipping a lockpick would improve lock picking skills. Drugs can also temporarily boost player's skills; however, they often have adverse effects such as addiction and withdrawal.

Traits

At character creation, the player may choose 2 optional traits for his or her character. Traits are special character backgrounds. Which traits are available depends on the chosen race, and most of them have profound effects on gameplay. A trait normally contains one beneficial effect and one detrimental effect. Once a trait is chosen, it is impossible to change, except by using the "Mutate!" Perk that lets them change 1 Trait, 1 time.

Perks

Perks in the game are special elements of the level up system. Depending on the character's race, the player is granted a perk of his or her choosing every 3-4 levels (or every 4-5 with the "Skilled" trait). Perks grant special effects, most of which are not obtainable via normal level up in the game, such as letting the player have more actions per turn. Unlike traits, most perks are purely beneficial - they are usually offset only by the infrequency of acquiring them. Some perks can only be used by certain races.